James Kimball "Kim" Gannon (November 18, 1900 – April 29, 1974) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

songwriter, more commonly a

lyricist A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's incom ...

than a

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

Biography

Gannon was born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

to an Irish-American family from Fort Ann in upstate New York, but grew up in New Jersey where he attended Montclair High School and was a member of The Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity. He graduated from St. Lawrence University and, intending to become a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicit ...

, attended the Albany Law School, passing the

bar examination A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associ ...

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. sta ...

in 1934. In 1939 he wrote his first song, "For Tonight". His 1942 song, " Moonlight Cocktail", was recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra and was the best-selling record in the United States for 10 weeks. In 1942 he began writing songs for

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

s, beginning with the

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a " libretto" and their writer, ...

of the title song for '' Always in My Heart.'' He subsequently contributed songs to other films, including '' The Powers Girl'' and ''

If Winter Comes ''If Winter Comes'' is a 1947 drama film released by MGM. The movie was directed by Victor Saville and based on the 1921 novel by A.S.M. Hutchinson. The film tells the story of an English textbook writer who takes in a pregnant girl. The novel ...

''. In 1951 he turned to the Broadway stage, joining with composer Walter Kent to write the score for '' Seventeen''. Gannon collaborated with a number of writers, including, J. Fred Coots, Walter Kent, Josef Myrow, Max Steiner, Jule Styne,

Mabel Wayne Mabel Wayne (born Mabel Wimpfheimer, July 16, 1890 – June 19, 1978) was an American songwriter, noted as "one of the first women composers to publish a hit song". Her songs included "In a Little Spanish Town", "Ramona", and " It Happened in Mo ...

, and Luckey Roberts. He died in Lake Worth, Florida, at the age of 73.

Songs

Among songs which Gannon wrote or co-wrote are the following: *" Alma Mater (St. Lawrence University)" *"Always in My Heart (1942 Song)with Kim Gannon on Lyrics *" Angel in Disguise" *"Autumn Nocturne" *" Croce di Oro" *"Don't Worry" *"

A Dreamer's Holiday "A Dreamer's Holiday" is a popular song. The music was written by Mabel Wayne, the lyrics by Kim Gannon. The song was published in 1949. Hit versions of the song were recorded by Perry Como and Buddy Clark. 1949 versions *The version by Perry Co ...

" *"Easy as Pie" *"Five O'Clock Whistle" *"The Gentleman Needs a Shave" *"Hey Doc!" *" I'll Be Home for Christmas" *" I Understand" *" I Want to Be Wanted", his final hit *"Johnny Appleseed" *"Make Love to Me" (not the 1954 song of that title, but an earlier one) *" Moonlight Cocktail" *"Pioneer Song" *"Romance a la Mode" (with Arthur Altman) *" Under Paris Skies" (English lyrics)

References

Songwriters from New York (state) American lyricists 1900 births 1974 deaths American people of Irish descent Albany Law School alumni St. Lawrence University alumni 20th-century American musicians {{US-music-bio-stub